Are you striving to live not just a longer life, but a more vibrant and energetic one? Longevity nutrition could be the key.
In the 30 years that I’ve been in the field, I’ve seen a lot of nutritional advice come and go, but longevity nutrition holds the promise of something truly transformative.
In this article, I’ll briefly touch on the science behind longevity nutrition, outline the different styles and share simple things that you can do so your nutrition supports maximizing your vibrant years.
How Do Our Bodies Age?
Science is increasingly understanding how our bodies age. Within each of our bodies’ cells are chromosomes. Telomeres are located at the ends of chromosomes. Science has discovered that telomeres are a major determinant of longevity. The shorter your telomeres, the faster you age.
Mediterranean Diet, Blue Zones & Longevity Nutrition
There’s still work to be done to determine exactly how to eat to support long telomeres with nutrition. But the leading avenues of research have found many factors in common. They have also found some differences.
The diet that has, by far, the most research behind it is the Mediterranean Diet. Another avenue of research is looking at regions around the world where people have longer than expected lifespans. Especially, extended years of good quality of life. These regions have been named “blue zones.” The five blue zones are: Okinawa, Japan; Ikaria, Greece; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya Cost Rica; and, members of the Seventh Day Adventist religious group living in Loma Linda, California.
Taking it back to the Mediterranean Diet, note that two of the five blue zone locations are in the Mediterranean (Ikaria, Greece and Sardinia, Italy). So, while the Mediterranean Diet and blue zones are separate areas of research, there is considerable overlap.
A third avenue of research was conducted by Valter Longo, PhD director of the University of Southern California’s Longevity Institute. He reviewed the scientific literature and created an eating style, which he captured in his popular book called The Longevity Diet. He studied the blue zones, the Mediterranean Diet and other nutrition research.
What to Eat (& What to Avoid) for Longevity
Here’s a list of what nutrition recommendations can agree upon:
• Eat a lot of vegetables and fruit: I’m talking a lot! One way to think about it is having vegetables and fruit make up half of what you eat.
• Eat high fibre foods: Foods rich in fibre include vegetables and fruit; whole grains such as whole-grain wheat, steel-cut oats, brown rice and quinoa; nuts and seeds; and legumes such as beans, lentils, chickpeas, split peas and soy foods.
• Incorporate legumes: The blue zones all include legumes at least multiple times per week. The type of legume varies amongst the regions. For example, in the Mediterranean, people eat beans, lentils and chickpeas whereas in Okinawa, soy foods such as tofu are more common.
• Have minimal sugar: While the Mediterranean Diet and blue zones don’t eliminate sugar completely, it’s eaten minimally.
• Drink low or no alcohol: Two to four glasses of wine per week fits in the Mediterranean Diet but the Seventh Day Adventists do not drink alcohol. So, while there isn’t a specific amount recommended, I recommend keeping alcohol to a minimum.
• Don’t overeat: Take time to eat (i.e. don’t eat while driving, while working, etc), tune in and be mindful to not overeat. Take inspiration from the Okinawan concept of “hara hachi bu” meaning to stop eating when your stomach is 80 percent full.
Even with all this agreement, there’s some aspects for which these longevity nutrition avenues differ. These areas are:
• Role of animal products (e.g. poultry, dairy, seafood).
• The amount of protein needed.
• Whether fasting is necessary.
When my busy clients incorporate more vegetables, more legumes and tackle their cravings to successfully stop overeating sugar, they can’t believe how much more energy they have. Embrace these eating habits and enjoy extending your longevity through healthy eating!
Sample Day:
Here’s what a day of longevity eating might look like:
• Breakfast at 7am: Oatmeal topped with walnuts and blueberries.
• Lunch at 12pm: Black bean and quinoa salad bowl with lots of veggies, dressed in an olive oil-based vinaigrette.
• Afternoon snack at 3pm: Apple
• Dinner at 6:30pm: Salmon served with brown rice, bok choy and mushrooms.
• Don’t eat after dinner to create a 12-hour overnight fasting window.
